Seoul Food

SEOUL—For many years, dining in Seoul was distinguished mainly by mom-and-pop restaurants and a late-hours dining called pojang-macha in outdoor tents—all serving cheap Korean food.

But over the past few years, Seoul has quietly become a city for foodies. Just this spring, Zagat's, the U.S. publisher of survey-based dining guides, produced its first Seoul edition. The variety and sophistication of restaurants has exploded; foodies seeking Spanish tapas, Uzbeki shurpa and even New York-deli style pastrami sandwiches can now...